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Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

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Steriods to treat recurrent miscarriage...........????

12 replies

oinker · 03/07/2007 15:34

I have been to my clinic today for a routine check up...
I have a history of 5 m/c's no live births. All m/c's were first trimester.
i have had all the tests. I have pregnancy related blood clotting and have previously been treated with heparin and baby aspirin.
This didn't work.

Prof reckons as it hasn't worked twice before I should consider the prescribing of steroids for first twelve weeks of pregnancy...

has anyone done this before or does anyone have any info re where I can search this on the web...

OP posts:
Kewcumber · 03/07/2007 15:35

I have heard of this, think a friend might have had steriods - I'll ask her.

VictorVictoria · 03/07/2007 15:36

Hi Oinker

Glad to hear you are still positive. A friend of mine was prescibed this and it worked..........

(we spoke about Prof Regan some time ago, not sure if I was posting under the same name. She is my consultant)

mumto3girls · 03/07/2007 15:38

I have had 6 mc's (but 3 live births) and I have been referred to a consultant in a few weeks time. What do seriods do in early pg and should I ask about them?

oinker · 03/07/2007 19:49

I am not entirely sure what the steroids do..

I am going to have to do some research...

Basically I have tried 3 times to hold onto pregnancies which weren't assisted by anything. I then tried 2 pregnancies with heparin and aspirin. That failed too.

I assume the steroids which will only be for the first trimester wi do a similar type of thing..........

OP posts:
LaDiDaDi · 03/07/2007 19:52

Could be wrong here but I guess that the steroids are to try to dampen down your immune response to the foetus? The idea being that the foetus is foreign to your body and your immune system may react against it resulting in miscarriage.

Kewcumber · 03/07/2007 19:57

I think you're right Ladida

Glimmer · 04/07/2007 09:32

Hi Oinker, sorry no advice here but just dropped in to say hi. I used to post as d4phne. I am hoping you get the very best care and find a trustworthy and nice consultant. My thoughts go out to you.

Mumpbump · 04/07/2007 09:43

Hello Oinker. No experience, but I think herbaceous who is posting on the ttc after m/c thread was on steroids for recurrent m/c. It might be worth asking on there, perhaps?

Mumpbump · 04/07/2007 09:44

Hope herby doesn't mind me mentioning her...

lissie · 04/07/2007 13:17

i am just going thru my 5th mc in 2y. i have 1 ds this sounds v intresting! did he mention a steroid by name or prescribe clomid first?

herbaceous · 05/07/2007 12:30

Just posted this in 'ttc after mc', but thought it would be helpful to post here too..

I believe the steroid treatment is controversial. After my fourth m/c I went to a private guy on Harley Street (Dr Shehata) for all the blood tests, and the only thing that came back abnormal was my level of natural killer cells, which he (and a few others) reckon can attack the placenta as a foreign body. It's essentially an over-active immune system. (A study is being carried out at Liverool hospital into this, too0>

He prescribed steroids to calm down the pesky NK cells. I took them as instructed in my next pregnancy, but miscarried at 11 weeks. However, as it turns out that the baby had trisomy 13, I don't know whether the steroids would have helped or not. Like you, however, I have no other option, so should I get pg again will take them, as they have no adverse side-effects.

However, non-steroid-believers say that
a) it's the number of NK cells in the uterus that matter, not the blood stream, and only a biopsy can tell you that
and
b) the number of NK cells in the blood varies daily, so blood tests are not an accurate indicator.

BUT I know a lady who'd had five mcs then had a successful pg after taking Mr Shehata's steroids, so there may be something in it. NHS doctors can be very dismissive of it, but it may just be a pioneering new treatment that in a few years will be standard practice. And it doesn't do any harm in the meantime...

lissie · 05/07/2007 17:22

thanks herby, will ask my doc about that too!

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